Vehicle spring cover



1*. MUNRO VEHICLE SPRING COVER mea Apnl 1s, 1925 sa? manera si De'cf 1l', l 928.

fweor Thom@ Mum@ l .forfneys.

atented Dec, ll, 1928,

starrt THOMAS Menno, or rnrnnnntrnra, rENNsYLvANra.

VEHICLE SPRING COVER.

Application 'filed April 13, i925. Serial No. 22,536.

Vmaterial lined with feltor other suitable absorbent material and oi"such size as to lie over thetop leaf of the spring and extend downadjacent the sides of the leaves to a point slightly below the bottomleaf where the free edges of the cover are secured together in anysuitable way so as to retain the cover on the spring and hold it closelyadj acent thereto. l

In automobiles as at present constructed it is customary to provide thesprings with a plurality oi inverted U-shaped clips one or more ofwhichis disposed about 'each spring with its 'tree ends projecting for arelatively considerable distance above the top leaf so as to enable theclip to be secured in position on they spring by a bolt or rivetextended transversely through said'ends above the plane oi' the topleaf, the Jfunction of these clips beingtovprevent the separation ofthespring leaves upon the rebound of the spring. lt is therefore impossiblewhen attaching to the spring a springcover of the usual type to causethe cover to lie tlatalong the top leaf since the said projecting endsof the clips force the cover away from the leaves both directly in theirvicinity and also for a considerable distance on each side of each clip.rlhis causes a very unsightly hump or bunch on the exterior of the coveradjacent each clip and, in addition, has a tendency to correspondinglyraise the tree edges of the cover so that the latter, instead ofsmoothly following the contour of the lower surface of the spring ingenerally parallel relation therewith, are pulled or curved up for aconsiderable distance adjacent each clip; thus instead of dependingvbelow they are frequently above the plane or1 the bottom of the springadjacent the clips which materially interferes with the properattachment of the means by which said free edges of thev cover aresecured together after the latter is placed over the spring ends oic theclips prevent the convenient and proper' attachmentof the cover aboutthe spring, interfere with its neat appearance ln short, theprojectingwhen in position andiinally, through the relative movement'ofthe spring and coverunder operative conclitions,wvear through boththejlining and the envelop ofV the latter at their points oif contacttherewith and thereby render the cover more or less unserviceable aftera relatively short periodof use.

lt is therefore an object or the present invvention to provide,v aspring cover so constructed as to embody pockets or recesses for thereception of the ends of the spring clips which project above the planeof the upper surface of the top leaf of the spring..

, A further object of the invention is to provide a spring cover havingpockets or recesses for the receptiono the projecting ends of the springclips formed integral with the exterior portion or envelop ofthe coverandk so arranged that when the cover is in operative position on thespring the ends of the clips will be received in said pockets withoutanyundue strain being placed. on the side or other portions of the'cover'inthe vicinity of the clips, whereby the free longitudinal edgesof the4 cover canassnme theirv proper position substantially'parallelwith the bottom of the spring. Y' l Still further objects of myinvention are to relieve the spring cover, .by the'provision ofsuitablepockets or recesses for the recep-l tion of the projecting endsof the spring clips, from excessive wear in the vicinity of saidprojecting ends; to 'facilitate the operation ot attaching the cover tothe spring and to enhance its appearance thereon by preventing bunchingVup 4ofthe cover in the vicinity of the clips;

My invention 'further includes `other ob- Y jects and novel eatures'ofconstruction and arrangement hereinafter lmore lparticularly referred toor which will be apparent from the accompanying drawing talrengin'connection with the following description of a preerred embodiment ofthe invention as therei in illustrated.y

In the said drawing Fig. l is a perspective view oliva spring coverconstructed in accordance with .mj/'invention as it appears in eX.-tended position before attachment to the spring; Fig. 2 is a transversesection on line 2 2 in Fig,` l; Fig. 3 is a'longitudinal cenV- tralsection on line B Sfin Fig. l; Fig. 4;' is a centrall longitudinalsection of the spring coverin position upon a vehicle spring which isshown inside elevation and Fig. 5 is a sideelevation` of the cover inposition on thev the spring with which the cover is to be associated andmarginal portions or flaps 2, 2 of sufficient width to be turned downover the sides of the spring and cover the same when the cover is inposition thereon. Since automobile springs are ordinarily of decreasingf vertical thickness from their centers toward their outer ends, thelongitudinal edges 3, 3 ofthe side flaps of the cover are preferablyarranged to converge from the inner end 5 of the cover which is intendedto lie most nearly adjacent the center of the spring to the opposite orouter end 6 so that when the flaps are turned down alongside of thespring they longitudinal edges 3, 3 will substantially follow thecontour of the bottom of the spring.

The-side flaps 2 of the cover may be lined with a lining 7, 7 formed ofa sheet of suitable absorbent material such as felt or the like which iscapable of absorbing oil, these linings respectively extending fromadjacent the marginal edges of the side flaps to approXimately thesideedges 3, 8 of the central portion 1 of the cover, the side marginalextremities of the envelop being turned over as at 9, 9 so as to coverthe acent edges of the linings and the several layers then stitchedtogether by stitches 10 extending eny tirely around the edges ofthecover. Preferably a longitudinally extending stiffening Vwire 11 isdisposed in the turned over edge of the envelop adjacent the `outer edgeof the felt liner for the purpose of preventing endwise buckling ofthecover when in operative position on the spring, and a plurality ofeyelets may be disposed adjacent the lateral edges of the cover forengagement by the attaching means by which the cover is secured on thespring. j

For the purpose Vof receiving the upwardly projecting ends C of thespring clips C K which, as hitherto stated, are disposed at intervals onautomobile springs as now customarily constructed, l providethe centralportion of the lenvelop at suitably spaced points with recesses orpockets 13, 1 formed by'striking up the material vof the envelop.

during the manufacture of the latter by means of a suitable die or othertool so that that part of the material which forms the pocket is forcedout of the general plane of the envelop and caused to assume substan-ltially arcuate form, when viewed in longitudinal section as in Fig. 3rising above the plane of the top of the envelop and intersecting thelatter in transversely extending lines 15, the transverse width of thepocket thus formed` being preferably slightly greaterthan the Width ofthe central portion 1 of the cover so that the pocket will overlie andreadily receive the spring clip which is, of course, of somewhat greaterwidth than the width of the spring leaves. The sides 16 yof the pocketwhich extend substantially vertically are also formed simultaneouslywith the top of the pocket just described and in the same operation, andit has been found in practice that by the use of a suitable die it ispossible top strike up these pockets without excessively stretching thematerial of the envelop and without causing creases or abrasions in thelatter in the vicinity of the pockets so that the upper surface of theenvelop, as Well as the pockets themselves, .is entirely smooth, inconsequence of which the completed cover presents a very neatandattractive` appearance. It will of course be understood that thevertical height orv depth of theY with which the cover is designed to beused; V thus, where the makers of a particular car provide it withsprings having three clips between the outer end and the center, thecover designed for that car will be provided with a corresponding numberof pockets properly longitudinally spaced to accommo date the clipstherein, While a cover intended for use on another carhaving but two oreven one clip on each of its springs between the ends and center thereofwould preferably be Y provided with a corresponding number of f properlyspaced pockets.

For the purpose of receiving and distributing the oil or other lubricantinjected into the interior of the cover from time to time underoperative conditions, the cover is provided with a longitudinallyextending strip 17 of felt or other lubricant absorbing matem rial ofsubstantiallythe Width of the central i part 1 ofthe envelop andarranged to extend thcrebeneath from one end of the cover to the other.`As clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4l this strip 17 is carried up into theinterior of each of the pockets 13 so as to lie therein adjacent theinner surface of the envelop, but between the pockets the strip ispreferably spaced from the under side of the cover by spacer strips 18of like material and of sim` ilar width to the strip 17. These spacerstrips ordinarily are, however, of different lengths, each strip beingpreferably adapted to extend ,lloV

ist

l l between the edge .6 andthe po i .t very much shorter than either ofY the others. The strip 17 as Well as the spacer are pern'ianentlysecured to the envelop ^nfntudinally spacedl snlitV rivets, 2Oh arnranged along the center line et the cover and y extending through theseveral parts.

To enablethe introduction oi oil or other lubricant to the interior oftheA cover when positioned on the spring, a hole is punched through theenvelop at any convenie'ntpoint and preferably on the center linethereot and surrounded and reinforced eyelet 2l provided with aremovable cap 22 in such manner that when the latter is detached iromthe eyelet oil may be injected through the latter upon the subjacentspacer strip from which point the oil finds its ivay to the strip l'andtravels therealong in both directions so as to saturate the entire stripas Well `as the other spacer strips and also Works out on the linings 7,7 so as to saturate them. under operative conditions these linings areconstantly maintained against the sides of the spring the oil with whichthey are saturated gradually Werl; between the spring leaves bycapillary attraction so as to adequately lubrithe contacting andrelatively movable re described may be operatively at*- tached to aspring S by first placing the coverL thereon vvith its central portion 1aligned With th top leaf ot the spring andthe under side ot 1e strip i?in contact therewith. The side p ns or flaps ot the cover are thenturned ve i lally doivn adjacent the sides of the s and the freelongitudinal edges 3, 3 s together by any suitable means eX- t betweensaid edges beneath the s u', and While said means may partalie ot vari`.s Yiforms l prefer to employ tor that purpose the means disclosed andclaimed in U. S.

Patent No. 1,667,735, granted to me on May 1, 1928, to which referencemay be had for a tunJ ther description thereof. lt Will be apparent thatwhen so positioned on the Vspring the portions the envelop between thepockets and so between the ends of the pockets and the ends of the coverWill be raised for a relaconsiderable distance above' the top tively andspacer strips betvveenthe envelop and the leal" and that t ie upwardlyproJecting exuitable Way, conveniently by the use Ytremitics C of the sring clips C Will be re- P s i Vceived in the pockets oi the cover andrest therein Without causing' any stretchingv orunduev distortion ottheadjacent portions of the latter; thus the longitudinal edges 3, 3 ofthe latter are not pulled up adjacent each clip but smoothly follow thegeneral contour of the under surface ott the spring throughout its yentire length enabling the proper attachment'v and functioning ont themeans by Which the cover is secured inposition on the spring and keepingall parts oit the sides of the spring proper`y covered. lt willv`further be observed by reference to Fig. el that asthe ver-4ticallieight or depth of the poclrets is sotticient to readily receivethe projecting ends oi" theV clips Without .the necessityl ot down-Wardly straining the adj acont portions of the cover,` the Wear on thecover at its .points of y contact'ivith the Vends ot the clips is notmaterially greater than the Wear at any other point, in consequence.oiivwhichr the ends our" the I clips do-'not 'Work through the coverunder the relative movement between the parts in-y duced by the constanttlexingof the spring unoer operative conditions. llhis Wearing oi thecover by the spring clips is of constant occurrence with covers ashitherto constructed and lrequentlyserves to rendersuch covers more orless unserviceable after a relatively short period of use.

As the pockets in my improved spring cover are formed integral With theenvelop and conveniently by a single operation, the cost of manufactureof the cover ,is not thereby unf duly, increased, and possibility oi'oil leakage in the vicinity of the pockets prevented, While` the Wearingqualities and appearanceot the cover and its ability to properly hug thespring and permit the proper attachment and functioning of the attachingmeans, Whatever defined in the appended claims.

lla-vino' thus described mi invention l .cent the top leaf o" a spring`and provided leale S by the interposition ot the strips 17 l with arecess in its under face formed by striking up the material of theenvelopjand with side flaps laterally disposed vvith'respect` lrial foreach of said side flaps, said envelop into said recess to orin a liningtherefor,

said strip being of less' Width than said recess, spacer strips ofsimilar material interposed between said strip and the envelop adjacenteach end of the recess, and means for securing Y said envelop, spacerstrips and strip together.

2. A spring cover for vehicle springs co1nprising an outer envelop ofileXible material having a centra-l portionadapted to extend adjacentthe top of a spring and sid-e flaps laterally disposed with respect tosaid centralportion adapted to lie adjacent the sides of the spring' anda lining of' absorbent` inate- `the envelop, a stripl of absorbentmaterial of less Width than said recess extending longitudinally beneathsaid central portion froinone end of the cover to the other and liningsaid recess7 spacer strips of absorbent niaterial interposed vbetweenthe longitudinal strip and the envelop at each end of the recess,

and means for securing said envelop, spacer strips andlongitndinal striptogether, Vcornprising a plurality of rivets disposed at spacedintervals and extending through all of said parts. n

In-\vitness whereof, I havel hereunto set lny hand this 12th day ofMarch, .1925.

' THOMAS MUNno.

